See the Sunsentinel article on our The End of an ERA my father passing and the store lease terminating
Thank you so much for the wonderful article Ihosvani
Ronni
http://www.irvingberlinformen.com/
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Fashion fixture Irving Berlin in downtown Hollywood to fold, ending historic era in an area seeking revival
By Ihosvani Rodriguez, Sun Sentinel
6:35 p.m. EST, December 30, 2010
HOLLYWOOD —There are only a few joints where you can pick up a bright yellow $283 silk shirt with purple cuffs adorning its sleeves.
Next week, there will be one less such place.
The Irving Berlin European Attire for Men store, a downtown Hollywood landmark that has sold unique clothing to just as equally unique customers for almost 58 years, will sell its last high-end shirt next week.
It is the latest Hollywood throwback business to close in recent weeks in an area seeking renewal through hotspot nightclubs and trendy restaurants.
Store owner Ronni Coaches says the store is the victim of a bad economy and of times when consumers are more inclined to bypass personal service and buy their attire at department stores instead.
For downtown Hollywood, it’s the end of an era that draws upon images of stylish men attending wild parties, engaging in backroom gambling and being friends with Al Capone.
“In terms of history, it really is catastrophic,” said Alex Bruno, vice-president of the Hollywood Historical Society. “As long as anyone can remember, Irving Berlin was always there selling its big ticket items. It stood there even as 99-cent stores opened and closed near it. It’s a very, very sad thing.”
The decision to shut down was sudden and emotional, said Coaches.
Her father, Lewis Cohen, who opened the store in 1953 with original partner Berlin (no relation to the famous songwriter), died at age 88 earlier this month. Cohen, known for dressing as stylish as his mannequins, still worked at the store six days a week.
After Cohen’s death, Coaches and the building’s owner couldn’t agree on the terms of a new lease, which expires this week.
Coaches, who worked alongside her father for 30 years, said her dad “would’ve died sooner” had he known his beloved establishment would close under such sudden circumstance.
Coaches now plans to retire and move to Utah with her husband.
For nearly six decades, the store sold menswear personally selected and imported from Europe by Cohen and Coaches. The store originally opened in Miami Beach, but moved its location to Hollywood.
The father and daughter believe the business persevered throughout the decades due to their belief that a personal touch and luxurious fabrics will surpass factory-churned duds sold a retail stores.
This week, the place remains dressed with racks filled with colorful Versace and Armani jackets and shirts. Rows of shoes feature bright glowing stones — some with flowery patterns — is the centerpiece in a side room. Neckties with price tags in the triple digits flanked wallets, colognes, rings and cufflinks tucked inside glass cases.
Undermining all of the items’ exquisiteness: yellow handwritten signs indicating a blowout markdowns up to 80 percent.
The distinguished clothing and service drew famous and infamous characters over the years, especially during the 50s when South Broward was a haven for retired mobsters.
Among the store’s regulars was a man Coaches grew up calling “Uncle Meyer” but who the rest of the world knew as Meyer Lansky, the reputed mobster. Lanksy, who lived in nearby Hallandale Beach, was one of the store’s first customers.
The late John Gotti, known as the “Dapper Don,” got much of his elegance and ties at Cohen’s store.
“He was always a gentleman,” Cohen told the Sun-Sentinel in 2004. “He would come in with five or six bodyguards. They were very well-mannered.”
The business drew tons of accolades from other less nefarius characters.
In 2004, Cohen was honored by Hollywood officials who proclaimed May 19 as Lewis Cohen Day. The honor came weeks after Esquire Magazine named the haberdasher’s store as one of the top 100 men’s retailers in the country.
The store’s closing is the second longtime Hollywood business to close in recent weeks.
The Rainbo Café, which opened as a popular nightspot during the 1930s, and was featured in the movie remake of “Cape Fear” closed its doors unceremoniously last month after it changed ownership several times.
Morningstar Jewelry and Melina’s Melina’s lingerie store now remain the lone relics in downtown Hollywood.
This week, loyal customers of Irving Berlin visited the storied boutique to exchange stories and they mingled with new customers there to catch a clearance deal.
Richard Orenstein, 80, a customer since the store first opened in Miami Beach and a self-described “clothes horse” said he was devastated by Cohen’s death and the store’s closing.
The Hollywood resident owns about 170 “Robert Graham” sports shirts that he purchased at the Hollywood store. The shirt’s designer named one of the shirts after Orenstein, the colorful one priced at $283 before the clearance sale.
“It’s tearing my heart out,” said Orenstein. “This place resemble the epitome of style. When Lou died, this place died. And with this place gone, the Hollywood we know is now gone also.”
Ihosvani Rodriguez can be reached at ijrodriguez@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4605.
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